The bioautofuel cell will produce electrical power by direct conversion of chemical energy from endogenously supplied carbohydrate fuel and oxygen to usable electrical energy for implantable electronic devices such as the cardiac pacemaker. In addition to problems of fuel cell design, electrode and membrane materials, etc., the investigation involves the design and packaging of a microminiature pacemaker circuit and fuel cell, without leads, and theoretically capable of unlimited life. An intermedite goal is the establishment of a telementry link for monitoring an implantatable fuel cell package. In its homeostatic processes, the body would be the ever faithful servant in providing fuel and oxidant (e.g., glucose and oxygen at their physiologic concentration in extracellular fluid). Because of construction with inert materials, the cell could continue to function for the life of the patient even in the case of implantation in childhood: certainly much longer than the present state-of-the-art pacemaker with mercury or other primary or secondary cells. Also under study are an enzyme reactor for processing of body fluid fuels, characterization of various potential fuels, identification of reaction products, exploitation of the new power source for other applications such as carotid sinus nerve stimulation, urinary bladder stimulation, implantable biotelemetry systems, and auditory and visual sensory prostheses. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Ahn, B.K., Wolfson, S.K., Jr., Yao, S.J., Liu, C.C., Todd, R.C. and Weiner, S.B.: "Hyaluronidase-Bound Membrane as a Biomaterial for Implantable Fuel Cells," Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, 10: 283-294, 1976. Yao, S.J., Wolfson, S.K., Jr., Tokarsky, J.M., Liu, C.C. and Weiner, S.B.: "The Effect of O2 on the Pt-Black Anode of Implantable Fuel Cells," Proc. 29th Annual Conference on Engineering in Medicine and Biology, 19: 427, 1976.